The death toll in the multiple blasts at a Jehovah’s Witness religious gathering at Kalamassery here on Sunday rose to three on Monday even as the investigation by the Kerala Police has not yet confirmed whether the sole accused received external help to mastermind and execute the act.
The arrest of 57-year-old Martin V.D., who claimed responsibility for the attack, was recorded on Monday evening.
The condition of three people, out of 12 admitted in intensive care units after suffering injuries in the blasts, remained extremely critical. Libina, 12, of Malayattoor in Ernakulam district who was rushed to the Government Medical College Hospital, Ernakulam, with nearly 95% burns around 9.50 a.m. on Sunday succumbed to her burns at 12.40 a.m. on Monday.
Apart from the four critically injured, the condition of the rest undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College Hospital, Ernakulam, and a few other private hospitals remained stable, according to Health Minister Veena George.
The woman who was killed on the spot has been identified as Leona, 55, a native of Iringol, near Perumbavoor, here. The DNA samples of her relative have been collected to confirm her identity.
The police investigation showed that the accused had taken a room at a hotel in Koratty in Thrissur district for a mere 10 minutes before he surrendered before the Kodakara police on Sunday afternoon. However, he reportedly emerged within 10 minutes after the check-in in a hurry claiming that he had to leave claiming there had been some accident.
The police are also verifying whether the suspect had in some way used his building at Athani, near Nedumbassery, here for making the improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which he had allegedly used to trigger the blasts, or as a storage point.
The Kerala Police have registered multiple cases in connection with posting communally inflammatory social media posts against the backdrop of the incident. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar visited the injured in various hospitals. They also inspected the blast site.
